Politics & Government

OPINION: Latino Leaders Weigh In on Baca Retirement

Members of the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles say Baca, "has been no friend to the immigrant community."

Reactions from Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca’s announcement that he will not seek a fifth term continue to come in.

The Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles has released a statement expressing approval of Baca’s decision. Angelica Salas, executive director for CHIRLA, an immigrant rights voice in Los Angeles spoke on behalf of the organization through a released statement. We’ve published it below.

“We applaud Sheriff Baca’s decision to step down a post he has mired in controversy and shame.  It is time for Los Angeles to have a more open, pro-immigrant, pro-Los Angeles community Sheriff.

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Sheriff Baca has been no friend to the immigrant community.   Thousands upon thousands of undocumented families living in Los Angeles County who committed no major offense have been deported and faced years of unscrupulous detentions and referrals to immigration officials through Mr. Baca’s misguided embrace of “Secure Communities.”  In addition to this abhorrent practice shunned by many of his colleagues elsewhere, a growing reputation that the Sheriff Department has become a lawless institution which commits abuse and racially profiles communities without impunity has raised plenty of red flags for voters.

Whatever his reasons for leaving, Sheriff Baca will not be missed by our community.  We expect the LAC Sheriff Department’s successor will have a lot of cleaning up to do should it expect to regain some of the community trust it lost as a result of the missteps, overreaches, and violations gone unchecked under Baca’s administration.”

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